One family genealogist says the son of Woodson "Ben" and Mahala Onstott  
Blankenship was Thomas "Tom" Blankenship, born 1831 in Ralls County, Missouri  
(1850 Census) , living in Marion MO, 1840 census, and that year moved to  
Hannibal (family records, 1850 Census.) They show seven siblings. There is  
no spouse indicated on the family tree data.
In the 1860 Census he was a 19-year-old farm hand living at home in Black  
River, Reynolds Co., Mo. I did not do a thorough search for him in  Montana.
-Bob S

 
 
In a message dated 11/9/2011 4:59:29 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,  
[log in to unmask] writes:

>I'm  drawing a blank, but was Tom Blankenship a real person?
>And where can I  find out more about him?


Yes. From the autobiographical  dictations:

"In Huckleberry Finn I have drawn Tom Blankenship exactly  as he was ... I 
heard, four years ago, that he was justice of the peace in  a remote 
village 
in Montana and was a good citizen and greatly  respected."

-- Bob G.